Looking To Put Johnston Businesses On The 'Map'

Starting this week, Johnston resident George Eliades is planning to visit local businesses and offer them the chance to purchase a spot on a new Mail-A-Map that will be placed in sponsors' businesses, town offices, and local restaurants.

The is hosting the map, and Eliades said some of his first few calls will be to Chamber members.

Chamber President Deb Ramos, in an email message, said the map "can be a huge help to the local business community" by giving business owners a chance to advertise to shoppers and visitors to the town.

"We feel that any business participating in the maps will have so much more visability — and the maps themselves will be a huge resource for Rhode Islanders, and for those traveling to or through Rhode Island," Ramos wrote.

During a recent interview, Eliades explained that he's a Johnston resident, and already knows many of the businesses that he plans to visit over the next couple of weeks.

"I’m looking forward to it," said Eliades, who recently completed map projects in Warwick and Smithfield. "I said, 'Eventually I’m going to do Johnston, so let’s do it now.'"

Sponsors of the map get a space on the perimeter of the glossy publication, a marker on the map, and online visibility.

And with a scheduled run of 10,000 maps, the companies that advertise "will really stand out," Eliades explained, who added that he expects the Johnston map to take about two weeks to complete.